Valve-gear for steam-engines



W. H. SMITH.

VALVE GEAR FOR'STEAM ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-22, l9l8- 614101: me Q UNITED snares PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM Return, or PICHER, OKL HOMA;

VALVE-GEAR FOB STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

Application filed August 2 2, 1918. Serial no. 250,985.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Picher, in the county of Ottawa and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain well as requiring a minimum of material for the purpose, and developing greater power.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described herein and set forth with particularity in the claim appended hereto.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which like reference characters indicate the corresponding parts throughout the several views, in wh1ch- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steam engine equipped with my improved valve and valve gear,the same being shown partly in section,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional 'view through the cross head, the parts being enlarged, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the valve and operative parts,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the. rocker valve, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the valve showing the port arrangement.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I-

have shown a steam engine including a base 10 having a cylinder 11, any number of which may be employed, and provided with the usual cross head 12 operating in guides 13, the cross head having connection with the piston rod or plunger 14 and with a crank shaft 15 through the medium of a connecting rod 16. The usual fly wheel 17 is also provided to give the required steady runmng.

The steam supply pipe is designated at 18, and leads'into the steam chest 19 arranged upon the cylinder 11, the steam chest having passages 20 and 21 leading to opposite ends thereof. At the juncture of the supply pipe and the passages 20 and 21, a valve casing 22 is mounted, the same being designed to receive a cylindrical valve element 23, having an axial exhaust'port 24 and a longitudinal port '25 on its periphery for alining with the passages 20 and 21 alternately, the exhaust taking place through one end ofthe casing 22. The port 25 communicates with the axial exhaust port 24, and an inlet port or recess 23' is provided in the element 23 to alternately register with the passages 20 and 21, to supply stam to the opposite ends of the cylinder.

In order to actuate the valve-23, a cross arm 26 is provided at one end thereof having connection through the medium of a rod 27 with an arm 28 pivoted as shown at 29 to the upper end of an arm 30. The arm 30 is mounted at its lower end on a pivot 31 and depending from the pivot 31 within the cross head guide is an arm .32 pivoted at 33 to an elongated plate 34 mounted at its opposite end on a bolt 35 through the medium of a slot 36 in the plate, the bolt being carried by the cross head guide. The plate 34 is provided with. an elongated slot 37 slightly shorter than the length of the stroke of the cross head and piston, and receives the cross head pin 38 therein. The arm 28 of the rod 27 is integral therewith and disposed normal thereto. In this manner when the cross head is reciprocated, slight movement will be imparted to the plate 34 and arm 30' so as to oscillate the valve 23 for the purpose of supplying steam to opposite ends of the cylinder, the exhaust taking place in each instance by the alinement of the port 25 with i the opposite passages 20- and 21 alternately during the rocking or oscillation of the valve 23 through the medium of the port or recess 23' and the exhaust takes place through the pipe 40. The cross arm 26 is adapted to engage stops 41 to limit the movement thereof and reverse the valve by the mechanism described, the valve also being capable of manual reversing by a handle 42 removably engaged on the pivot 31 in which instance, the cylinder may be exhausted at either end by drain cocks 43.

From the foregoing descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that a clear and comprehensive understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of my invention may be had, and while I have shown and described the device as embodying a specific structure, I desire that it be understood that such changes may be made in said structure as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

A valve gear for steam enginescomprising a plate adapted to be loosely. carriedvby a cross head guide and having an elongated slot of less length than the stroke of the cross head adapted to receive a cross head pin whereby to slightly reciprocate the plate, a shaft adapted to be arranged transversely of the cross head guide, an arm pivoted to the plate and fixed to the shaft intermediate the extremities thereof, a second arm fixed to the end of the shaft, a rod, a

link pivotally connecting the rod to the second named arm, and a cross'arm adapted to be fixed to a steam control'valve and pivotally connected with the rod whereby to actuate the steam control valve upon reciprocation of the crosshead.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto.

WILLIAM H. SMITH. 

